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 Regardless of what are you writing, here are some good general rules to make you stand out:

- Make whatever you are writing stand out.  Ask yourself, "what distinguishes this from any other speech or essay out there?"

- Be clean and concise.  Don't feel the need to use big words or complex sentences.  Keep it simple and get to the point.

- After writing, reread your document and ask yourself if you included the 5 W's - Who, What, When, Where, and Why.

- Is your piece of writing relevant?  Is it something that you can tie into what is going on in the world around you? Is there a point that you are making?  What is the purpose of this writing?

- Use humor when appropriate.  People like to laugh.  It makes your writing more interesting and demonstrates your personality.

- Know your audience.  Tailor your language and tone based on who will be reading your work.  For instance, writing content for children differs greatly from writing for experts.

- Proofread, proofread, proofread - The worst thing you can do is submit a document with numerous spelling and grammatical errors regardless of how interesting it may be.  Your computer has spell check for a reason.  But even spell check may not always capture all of your mistakes.  Proofread your document at least twice.  If possible, get someone else to read it too to give it a fresh pair of eyes.

- Depending on what you are writing, give it some context, including quotes and relevant statistics.  Show that you have done some research.

- Show, don't tell - Instead of just telling the reader something, show it through actions, descriptions, and dialogue. For example, instead of simply writing, "She was happy," describe how she jumped up and down with her hands in the air and smiled from ear to ear.

- Vary sentence structure - Mix short sentences with long ones to keep a rhythm, keep your reader engaged, and prevent your writing from becoming monotonous.

- Engage the senses - In descriptive writing, you want to use sensory details.  Describe what things look, smell, feel, sound, and taste like to make your writing more vibrant.

I want to start off by thanking everyone for coming out tonight to celebrate my 50th birthday. I am happy to see all of you and grateful that so many of my closest friends and family came to share this special occasion with me.  I want to recognize and give a special thank you to the most important people here…..the bartender. Open bar, everyone! You’re welcome.

You know, I’m often asked when my birthday comes around, how does it feel?  How does it feel to be 40?  How does it feel to be 45?  How does it feel to be 50?  Although it’s a rhetorical question - because you expect the other person to answer “fine” rather than give you a rundown of all their medical issues. - My answer is always, “I feel about the same.”  I don’t feel any different. I don’t complain about getting older or not being able to do some of the things I used to when I was younger, or at least not as well.  But the truth is that birthdays are actually a good thing.  For instance, birthdays are good for your health.  I’ve heard that the more of them you have, the longer you’ll live.

But seriously, to me, I don’t think of it as being another year older.  What I do though is I tend to evaluate where I am in my life at this point.  Am I happy?  Am I where I want to be or where I thought I’d be at this age?  Have I accomplished what I wanted to?  The answer to all these questions is Yes. Sure, there are still more things I want to accomplish, but I feel like I have plenty of time to cross things off my bucket list. But what really makes my life fulfilling and meaningful is the people in my life. All of you. My friends and family. So, I love my life. I’m happy. I feel blessed.

I may be 50, but in my mind, I'm still 25. Of course, my body sends me daily reminders that I'm not, but hey, mind over matter, right?

I want to single out some people here. I feel so fortunate and am so appreciative to have an incredible extended family – from my mother-in-law, Anna to our aunt Elena, Uncle Isaac, and Cousin Daniel. And my sister-in-law, Larisa and brother-in-law, Sean, and their family. You all welcomed me into your family with open arms. And it means so much to me, especially after I lost my parents, and more recently, my brother. I know I don’t say it often, but you all mean so much to me and you have filled a void in my life that I had for a long time.

Besides my family, I am so blessed to have so many great friends, some of whom I’ve known for 40 years….my Brooklyn crew.  It’s rare to find a close-knit group of friends who have stayed close for that many years, and who have such a special bond.  

Now, for the most important part of my speech…I want to talk a little about my wife. Dating was frustrating for a long time when I was single, but it was all worth it because I finally met my perfect match later in life when I found Diana.  Diana is the best thing that has ever happened to me.   It’s hard to imagine what my life would be without her in it.  And there is nobody I’d rather share this birthday celebration with. Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning. Diana, you’re the meaning. 

Diana inspires me. She takes better care of me than I take care of myself. I admire how good she is with our children. Diana keeps me grounded and makes me think twice when I come up with my funny, crazy and stupid ideas. Fortunately, I don’t let her look at my speeches before I give them because she would have me take out about 90 percent of it.

I know I don’t always say enough how much I love you and how much you mean to me, but I want you to know that you mean the world to me.  If there was one thing, one special power or ability that I could give to you, it would be the ability to see yourself through my eyes, and only then would you realize just how special you are to me.  I love you.

Let’s forget just how old I am tonight because I am here to party all night! Let’s have fun tonight. Thank you all again for coming.